Seal for boxes.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906. E. J. BROOKS.

SEAL FOR BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14,1906.

Wisfiraaaes:

EDlVARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NElV JERSEY.

SEAL FOR BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed June 14,1906. Serial No. 321,658.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. Bnooxs,

a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of East Orange, in theState of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seals for Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for preventing the covers or bottoms of wooden packing cases or boxes of any size from being opened without detection, and thus to prevent the contents or part of the same from being abstracted from the boxes in transit from one point to another. There are heavy losses in many kinds of goods from boxes in transit from manufacturers to dealers and from dealers to customers.

The object of the present invention is to effectively accomplish the desired protection by a sealing device of very simple construction.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts and in a sealing device of novel construction, forming part of the same and adapted to be sold in quantity for use by shippers.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this speci fication as part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a face view and an edge view of the preferred sealing device or seal part, as it is hereinafter termed. Fig. 3 is a small-scale perspective view of a wooden box prepared for sealing; and Figs. 4 and 5 represent in common sections on the lines A B, Fig. 1, and A B, Fig. 3, on the same scale as Figs. 1 and 2,illustrating successive stages of the sealing operation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

In carrying this invention into effect a round seal part a, preferably and conveniently of sheet metal, is employed within a seal-containing recess 5, adapted to be readily and quickly formed by means of an ordinary auger-bit of suitable size and is combined with an ordinary nail 0, preferably of the wire-nail type.

The packing case or box may be of any required dimensions. An ordinary rectangu lar box is represented by Fig. 3. As here shown, the box for the purposes of.this invention may be composed of two or more cover-boards 1 and 2, side and end boards 3 and 4, and a bottom 5, having the customary lap-joints and united with each. other by nails 6 or their equivalent in any known or improved manner.

To provide for sealing the box, both ends of each of the cover-boards 1 and 2 are provided with central seal-containing recesses 6, formed as above described, each of these recesses being concentric with a nail-hole d, Fig. 4. A seal part a is dropped into each recess, and a nail c is driven through the nailhole (Z into the end board 4 adjoining the same. The nail may be driven by a hammer flush with the top of the cover and is then driven home, as in Fig. 5, by means of a suitable punch.

The seal-containing recess b serves not only to sink the seal part below the outer surface of the box, so as to prevent its defacement and impairment as a sealing device by contact with the floor and with other objects, but also prevents the withdrawal of the nail (2 by means of a nail-puller; and it thus becomes impossible to free either end of one of the cover-boards without so marring the wood and the seal part, either or both, as to insure detection.

The seal part a is composed of two annular cup-shaped pieces 7 and 8, Figs. 1 and 2, of sheet metal, permanently united with each other at the factory by a circumferential seam 9 and constructed, respectively, with a central hole 10, Fig. 4, whereby it is adapted to embrace the nail tightly beneath its head, and with downwardly-curved and converging resilient fingers 11, forming a central entrance corresponding with said hole 10 and adapted to admit the relatively large nailhead beneath them, the whole forming an annular and hollow seal part adapted to inclose the head of the nail b, as in Fig. 5, so as to mask the same and to prevent the separation of the nail from the seal part after the nail is driven home, as in Fig. 5.

It is intended to seal the part or parts forming the bottom 5 of the box in the same manner as the cover-boards 1 and 2 and to seal each part at two or more points, as may be required; but ordinarily one seal at each end of each part will be sufficient to render the box absolutely safe, especially if the specific seal part a, above described, be employed.

provided With a sufficient number of sealcontaining recesses in its upper side, and With a driven na1l central W1th reference to each of sald recesses, an annular sheet-metal seal part Within each of said recesses adapted to have the head of the nail driven therethrough and to cover the same and constructed With downwardly-curved and converging resilient fingers adapted to admit the head of the nail beneath them and to project inwardly above the same and to prevent its Withdrawal independently of the seal part.

2. In a seal for boxes, an annular and holloW sheet-metal seal part adapted to inclose the head of a nail driven therethrough, and

constructed With downwardly-curved and converging resilient fingers adapted to admit the head of a nail beneath them and to resist the separation of the nail and seal part.

3. In a seal for boxes, an annular and hollow sheet-metal seal part adapted to inclose the head of a nail driven therethrough, and composed of tWo cup-shaped pieces permanently united With each other by a circumferential seam, the lower piece being adapted to embrace the nail tightly beneath its head, and the upper piece constructed With downwardly-curved and converging resilient fingers adapted to admit the head of a nail beneath them, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS. Witnesses:

THEODORE D. GOTTLIEB, JAs. L. ERWIN. 

